From Ethan Evan Prater <prater-ethan@minerva.cis.yale.edu>

I have compiled a list of North American CD boot dealers from information
culled from people on the network, Goldmine, and other places. I have also
included some relevant information about books, trading lists, etc. This
list is in constant development, so please mail me with any suggestions,
additions, clarifications, whatever. Most evaluations are from my own
personal experience; others are from people who mailed to me their
impressions. All are obviously completely subjective. 

This list is not meant to be official or definitive. I started it mainly
as a way to organize information for myself, but also a way to answer
questions I often see about where to get such recordings. I hope some
people find it of use. I am not responsible for any of the information in
this list -- it is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I have no
financial or other interest in any of the businesses mentioned. 

My interests lie mostly (exclusively, I guess) toward Rush, The Police,
and Sting, so note any bias toward these artists. If you are interested,
please contact me for my trading list of boots and other rare recordings
of these artists. I always want to trade. The dealers on this list do of
course sell other artists' stuff. 

Revision  22 January 1993

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Goldmine
700 E. State St
Iola, WI 54990
(715) 445-2214
FAX (715) 445-4087

This is a record and CD collectors' publication published twice a month
known for being a forum for bootleg buyers and sellers. Goldmine has
phased out detailed advertisements from all but the largest dealers,
including a crackdown on classified ads. This includes tapes and videos,
but *not* CD's. Subscriptions are $35 for a year; you can call and order
by Visa/MC, or mail them a check or money order. If you call them they
will send you a free sample copy. 



The Hot Wacks Press
PO Box 544
Owen Sound, Ontario
N4K 5R1
Canada
FAX (519) 376-9781

"Hot Wacks" Book XV, "The Last Wacks", is an 802 page discography of
bootlegs arranged both by band and label. It gives times, setlists, and
sound quality ratings. This is the last publication of this book in its
current form, as the bootleg market has grown too large to provide a
complete discography (their term) in one book. The company will publish a
supplement in January of each year until 1995, when it will publish
something called "The Ultimate Wacks". 

This book is heavily LP and tape oriented, but it lists some CD's.  Its
listings for Rush, Sting, and the Police (the only ones I'm qualified to
judge) are very limited, and in many cases downright wrong. They only rate
sound quality in three categories (good, very good, and excellent -- I
guess there's no such thing as a bad boot), which may not be specific
enough for many people. There are ads for three European boot dealers at
the end. The book itself gives no indication that the publisher sells it
directly; one person sent a money order to the publisher some time ago and
still hasn't heard anything. If you really want this book, you're probably
best off ordering it from a dealer like CDC. 



The CD Bar
281 Queen St W
Toronto MSV 1Z9
(800) 663-1616
(416) 977-6863

A high class place that deals mostly in legitimate imports, but can order
a lot of high-quality CD boots. Since they're in Canada, they can take
advantage of looser import laws to get boots more easily. The owner's name
is Paul, and he is extremely willing to help find anything. He won't,
however, send out a list of what he has. You have to call and ask. I
haven't been too pleased dealing with the order takers at the toll free
number, but they basically know what they're doing. CD Bar has a fancy
computerized ordering and distribution system and they take credit cards;
you can call at any time to check on the status of your order. Prices vary
from very high (about $37 American for "Rushian Roulette", 1 CD boot) to
very low (same price for "Happy Birthday Sting", 2 CD boot). 

They have a fair amount of Rush, a lot of Sting, and a minimal amount of
the Police. CD Bar is one of a growing handful of places in the world that
sell the album "Whale Music" by the Rheostatics.  This is a local Toronto
band on whose album Neil Peart of Rush plays three tracks. Though some
orders can take a long time arriving from their European and Japanese
distributors, I highly recommend this place. They don't charge your credit
card until they ship your order, there's no chance of losing your money or
getting poor quality, and it's toll free. 



CDC Co.
618 S. Northwest Hwy.
Suite #120
Barrington, IL 60010

This place seems to deal in CD boots only. They have a wide selection from
many artists as well as the "Hot Wacks" collector's guide for $20. I
received "Hot Wacks" from them within a week of ordering it. Their prices:
1CD--$25, 2CD--$48, 3CD--$68. Shipping is $3.50 per order (in the U.S.),
insured. They take Visa/MC; allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of most items.
Write them for their extensive catalog that lists the most popular Rush
titles, including "Over the Europe"; they'll send frequent updates, too. 



Chicago Compact Disc
1640 Orrington Ave
Evanston, IL 60208
(708) 328-2202

All I know about this place is that the owner's name is Michael and the
manager is Cliff. They're supposedly very helpful, but I have never dealt
with them. 



Compact Platters
9102 N. Arch Village Ct.
Suite B
Richmond, VA 23236
(804) 330-5618
MWF 6-10pm Eastern
SatSun 12-7pm Eastern

This guy (Jeff) seems to have a good operation going, and he caters to
Rush fans. He has all of the newer Rush CD boots as well as the standard
Sting selections. Call before ordering for availability. Prices are
average ($25 per CD, $3 shipping), and he holds checks for clearance
before sending out orders. Unlike many other dealers, he will not cash a
check until he gets the items in stock and ships the order. He does not
take credit cards. My shipment from him arrived about two weeks after he
said it would, and the case to one CD was damaged, but I'm not unhappy
with his service. 



Dead Parrot Disks
PO Box 51631
Indianapolis, IN 46521-0631

Supposedly a good dealer, but I have had no dealings with them. I believe
they sell "Hot Wacks" for $20. One rumor is that the owner cashes checks
as soon as he gets them, but he takes forever to ship. I sent for their
listing but have not received it after sixteen weeks.



Digital Disc
1125 Rt. 112
Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776
(516) 474-0167

This place is on Long Island, New York. The manager's name is George
Siciliano. He takes credit cards, but selection is limited to what he has
in stock, and his prices are high ($35 for a 1CD boot). He has some Sting. 



Slipped Discs
David Seiferth
4152 W. Main St. #123
Batavia, NY 14020-1235
(716) 591-3892 -- note: changed from (716) 344-1632
9-10pm Eastern

I called this guy and got an answering machine saying to call back three
days later, but I never did.



The CD Exchange
430 E. Kirkwoods Ave, Units 8 and 9
Dunkirk Square
Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 334-2588

AND

Roscoe's
430 E. Kirkwoods Ave, Unit 19
Dunkirk Square
Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 333-0272

The above two businesses are in the same building and have the same owner.
I haven't figured out why. They have CD boots (I only asked about Rush)
for $30 for 1 CD ($55 for 2), and will ship for $2. They don't take credit
cards, so you have to send your check or money order to them first. A
couple of people on the network have dealt with them and have good things
to say. Be aware that they allow customers to listen to CD's in the store,
so what you order often is unwrapped and has a scratched jewel case, but
the discs I got from there were in very good shape. 



Second Coming
[no address info (NYC, obviously)]
(212) 228-1313

This place sells only what they have in stock, and the manager says that
varies from day to day. They didn't have any Police boots at all on 26 Oct
1992. 



Ten Mile Music
13722 Nicolett Ave S. #135
Burnsville, MN 55337
(612) 894-9982
supposedly 9-11pm Eastern

This guy (Dan?) guarantees all discs against physical defects (not sound
quality); he replaced one person's faulty CD within a week. Notifies in
case of greater than two week delays and gives honest reviews of quality.
He may have mostly Bruce Springsteen stuff, but I haven't received his
catalog yet. Prices are about $25 a disc, and he holds checks for
clearance the first few orders. 



I have nothing but the given information on the following dealers (special
thanks to Josh Paxton <jpaxton@andy.bgsu.edu> for most of these). I think
the ones that are names of businesses are basically retail stores that
will sell what they have in stock but don't take special orders. I've
mailed most of them to get listings and prices; I'll add information as I
get it. 



Ken Barker
4495 Academy St
Acworth, GA 30101
(404) 917-0141



Barax
PO Box 411
Mineral Ridge, OH 44440



Bill Dorsey
1312 French Rd #A-30
Depew, NY 14043
(716) 668-4316



Dr. Wax
5210 S. Harper OR 2529 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60615
(312) 493-8696 OR (312) 549-3377



Mad City
Madison, WI
(608) 251-8558

This place has no Police or Rush at all.



Madhatter Music
143 E. Wooster St
Bowling Green, OH 43403
(419) 353-3555

Ask for Jim or Billy. They don't have much in stock but they will usually
find it within a few weeks. Prices: $26-28 for 1CD, $45-50 for a 2CD set.
Delivery time varies. 



Michael H. Briggs
Mill Valley Vinyl/CD
PO Box 2401
Mill Valley, CA 94942

Apparently has no boots. He referred me to Neal Frederics, below.



Neal Frederics
1816 N. Stanley Ave.
Hollyw
Miss You
7095 Hollywood Blvd. #376
Hollywood, CA 90028
(213) 469-1065



Mother People
PO Box 16908
West Palm Beach, FL 33416

This place (the owner's initials are R.C.) will send you a catalog if you
send $2 first. You will get a coupon along with your catalog for $2 of any
order; subsequent catalogs are free if you make a purchase. There is an
extensive selection (the best Police selection I've seen at one business)
for average prices. This place gives all sorts of bonuses for frequent and
large orders. Cash, check, or money order only. 



Rebel Records
319 Bleecker St
New York, NY
(212) 989-0770

They said they have no live recordings, but I suspect that if you're
actually in the shop, it might be a different story. No good to order
from, though. 



Revolver Records
45 West 8th St
New York, NY
(212) 982-6760

This place would not discuss live recordings over the phone.



Rocks In Your Head
157 Prince St
New York, NY
(212) 475-6729

They have no Police, but I didn't ask about others.



Second Hand Tunes
2550 N. Clark St OR 2604 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 281-8813 OR (312) 929-6325

One store has vinyl, the other CD's, but I'm not sure which is which.
Neither place will order special, but both will ship what they have in
stock. 



Sid's Records and Tapes
Coral Springs Mall
3251 University Dr.
Coral Springs, FL 33065
(305) 345-7111



Smokin' Soundz
PO Box 353
Dunedin, FL 34697
(813) 736-8136
FAX (813) 733-0580

Obviously a very customer-oriented business. They only advertise items
they have in stock, but their catalog is still very extensive. The owner
is very helpful about finding anything they don't have. Prices are
slightly above average. They do sell "Hot Wacks" and some other books, and
even stock some LP's.



Stray Toasters
PO Box 130475
Houston, TX 77219-0475

From their catalog (available if you write to them) it's apparent this is
a small operation. They have a small compact disc, LP, and video
selection, but nothing from the three artists I concentrate on. It's
mostly the typical stuff: Zeppelin, KISS, Queen, The Stones, etc. Prices
are $25 single CD, $45 double; base shipping is $2.50 plus extra depending
on what is ordered (first class mail). 



Subterranean Records
Cornelia St
New York, NY
(212) 463-8900

They have no Police, but I didn't ask about others.



Venus Records
13 St. Marks Place
New York, NY
(212) 598-4459 OR (212) 941-6350

The guy here maintains that Police boots don't exist. I stopped talking to
him after that. 



John Young
PO Box 14126
Gainesville, FL 32604-4126
e-mail: jry@reef.cis.ufl.edu

This guy sends an e-mail catalogue about 135K large. One person says that
this dealer is unreliable and difficult to deal with. He misrepresents
what he has available and takes forever to ship. I personally have not
dealt with him. 



Zaba Music
PO Box 293053
Dayton, OH 45429
(513) 298-2344



ABCD
(914) 939-2223

This place has computerized ordering and distribution. They have a lot of
hard to find Police, including the excellen 1981 Melbourne
concert under the name "Wallaby". 



EAR/Rational Music
1118 Castillo St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 564-4949
e-mail: angst%cs@hub.ucsb.edu

A great source of legit imports and reachable through the net. Originally
he told me he had no Police, but some Rush and Sting; I think now he
maintains he has no boots at all. He also has the very hard-to-find
Stewart Copeland solo album "Klerk Kant". He emphasizes that he does not
sell bootlegs. You might want to e-mail this guy for his on-line catalog,
which is heavy on progressive rock and obscure alternative stuff.
Check/money order only; no credit cards. Reasonable prices, reliable and
fast service. 



Worldwide CD
PO Box 543
Villa Park, IL 60181
(708) 941-7619
FAX (708) 941-7923

This place sells few if any actual boots, but rather deals in in import
compilations and remixes. I'm not sure how legal the stuff they sell is.
They have many obscure singles, interview discs, and apprently legit
videos at average prices. There is nothing from the Police or Sting, but
they have a few Rush singles and interview discs, along with the now
out-of-print "Exit...Stage Left" video.  Shipping is $3.50 with any order;
they take check, money order, and Visa/MC. 



Sid's Music Server
mwilkenf@silver.ucs.indiana.edu OR sl291003@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
Subject Line: BOOTLIST, BOOTHELP, SELLLIST, BOOTADD

Not a boot dealer per se (I think this guy runs a used CD business), but
if you send a letter with any of the above subject lines you'll get an
immediate automated response. The only one really worth anything is
BOOTLIST, which will get you an extensive (145K) list of boot traders and
what they have available, what they want, and other information of that
ilk. The two addresses above are equivalent. BOOTHELP is a partially
accurate, limited description of what boots are. SELLLIST is basically a
list of tapes and LP's that the guy wants to sell; I have no idea how old
it is. BOOTADD is a way to add your list of boots to the big bootlist
trading list. 

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For Rush fans: Nate Shue <stu_neshue@vax1.acs.jmu.edu> is running a Rush
trading list. You can mail him to get a copy or to add your name and
selections to the list. 

This is an ongoing list, by no means complete and still limited in scope.
Fell free to e-mail me with additional dealers or commentary about the
ones already on the list. Contact me if you want to know of any additions,
as I am often adding to and revising this document. A few dealers asked me
not to distribute their names and addresses in mass mailings, but I will
send them to you if you ask me specifically. I have received a significant
number of European dealer names and addresses, many with vast stocks, but
since I order almost exclusively from American places, I did not put them
on this list. If there's enough interest, I could possibly do a list of
European dealers, but someone in Europe would probably be more qualified.
Special note for Policans: Stavros Tripakis <tripaki@ics.forth.gr> is
checking into European dealers to see what Police stuff they have. 

Again, I take absolutely no responsibility for any of the information in
this list, which is accurate to the best of my knowledge. Mail me if
you're interested in trading.


Ethan Evan Prater
prater-ethan@yale.edu



